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Updated flexible working policy

June 9, 2023

Flexible working plays a vital part in delivering the Trust’s People Plan and help to embed flexible working as one of the key ways of achieving our People objective to “cultivate and sustain happy, productive and engaged staff”. Improving the way in which we approach flexible working can help to improve staff experience through providing greater choice in when, where and how people work, in balance with the needs of the service. In turn, this helps to improve work-life balance, health and wellbeing and allows us to attract and retain a wider, more diverse range of colleagues to work in our Trust. The Trust’s Flexible Working Policy has now been revised to support our commitment to supporting flexibility in our working lives.

The new flexible working policy, which incorporates many of the elements from the interim Flexible Working Procedure introduced in September 2021, is now available on Connect and can be accessed by clicking here.

 Key features of the policy

  • All colleagues have the right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment. There is no qualifying length of service.
  • Colleagues can make more than one flexible working request per year.
  • Colleagues can make a flexible working request regardless of the reasons and regardless of their role, grade or department they work in.
  • Flexible working arrangements can be short term or long term in nature.
  • There are a range of flexible working options available for staff as set out in the Flexible Working Policy.
  • Colleagues and managers are asked to have regular and informal discussions about current or future flexible working needs through normal communication channels. This may be at induction, during PDRs, at 1:1 meetings or as part of team meetings. The purpose of this is to explore the individual’s needs and wishes and what options might be available to help employees think about whether they want to make a request.

Key changes to the policy

  • Clarification of timelines for flexible working applications and the need to fast track these wherever possible if the request is of an urgent nature.
  • The definitions for short term arrangements.
  • Clarity on the length of review periods and trial periods
  • Pathways for flexible working where this is linked to a health condition (i.e., via the Trust’s Policy for Managing Sickness Absence)
  • Arrangements for the review of historical flexible working arrangements. (This should be done in a sensitive manner being mindful of any contractual implications, with reference to the relevant guidance notes that will be available shortly).
  • The need for compromise wherever possible.

The key to finding the right flexible working solution is through constructive dialogue and a willingness to listen and seek compromise.

NHS England have published guides for both managers and individuals to support with flexible working conversations which you can access here by clicking here.